The blog of the radio announcer for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

50 Years in 50 Days: 1982

Fifty years ago, Appleton Professional Baseball joined the Midwest League. As part of 50 Years in 50 Days, Rattler Radio is counting down to April 5 with a look back at each season of Appleton Professional Baseball team since 1962 (with a lot of help from MWLGuide.com and baseball-reference.com). The countdown to Opening Day, 2012 has reached 30.

30 Years Ago:
The Foxes made the Midwest League Championship Series as the league expanded to 12 teams and won their first Pennant since 1978.

Future MLB Players:
Outfielder Daryl Boston hit .279 with 15 homers and 77RBI in 139 games
Outfielder Leo Garcia hit .264 with two homers and 37RBI in 117 games
Pitcher Al Jones (2-4, 3.32) in 26 games – one start – with 64Ks in 57IP
Third Baseman Wade Rowdon hit .284 with 12 homers and 79 RBI in 126 games
Infielder Craig Smarjstrla hit .241 with no homers and two RBI in eight games
Pitcher Eddie Solomon (3-1, 4.38) in 4 games – all starts – with 22K in 24.2IP

Please Come to Boston Stat:Daryl Boston was the #1 pick (7th overall) of the White Sox in the 1981 June draft. He played 139 games for the Foxes at the age of 19 in 1982. He led the team in homers and was second in RBI. The average age of the Foxes in 1982 was 21. The average age of the Midwest League in 1982 was 21.6. He struck out 147 times, but Boston had an .OPS of .776 while playing in a league that was almost three years older than he was. Boston went to play 11 seasons in the big leagues with the White Sox, the New York Mets, Colorado, and the New York Yankees.

Daryl Boston from 1982.

1990 TOPPS card of Daryl Boston

Tanzi Stat: Mike Tanzi was the 10th round pick of the White Sox in 1981. The 1982 season with the Foxes was his best as a professional. I can only guess, but since he pitched in five games for Glens Falls in 1983, appeared briefly back in Appleton in 1984, and appeared in six games at Glens Falls in 1984, injuries may have derailed Tanzi’s career. But, he was a big part of the Foxes MWL Championships season.

Mike Tanzi, 1982 Foxes.

Yo, Adrian Stat:Adrian Garrett played against the Foxes in the Midwest League in 1961 and 1962. He would go to the majors in 1966, but went back to the minors until 1970 and he stayed in the big leagues until 1976. Then, he spent time (1977-1979) in Japan. His position as the manager of the Foxes was his first. After winning, the 1982 MWL championship, Garrett managed in Glens Falls (1983) and Denver (1984). IN 1985 he was the hitting coordinator for the entire White Sox minor league system. Then, he moved on to a major league coaching job with the Royals and positions in the Marlins and Reds minor league system. Garrett’s very thorough bullpen page at baseball reference notes that he will be a part-time instructor for the Reds organization.

There were a LOT of changes in the Midwest League for 1982. Four teams joined the league through expansion. The Beloit Brewers, Danville Suns, Madison Muskies, and Springfield Cardinals all joined the loop.

The league from two divisions with four teams in each to three divisions with four teams in each. The league also did away half seasons. The season would be played as a single 144-game schedule. There would be four playoff teams – the three division winners and a wild card team with the best record of the non-division winners.

Additionally, the Brewers moved their affiliation out of Burlington and went with Beloit. The Bees not only changed affiliation to the Texas Rangers, they also became the Burlington Rangers.

The Appleton Foxes made a little go a long way in a doubleheader against Wisconsin Rapids Saturday night. Although they got just one hit in each of the two games they managed to sweep the Twins before 2,557 fans.

Click through for the boxscores for an interesting night in Wisconsin Rapids.

1982 MWL All-Star Game:
The North beat the South 4-2 at Quad Cities on July 14, 1982. Foxes manager Adrian Garrett was then skipper of the North squad. Daryl Boston (CF) was the only Foxes player to start in the game. Wade Rowdon (3B) and Ramon Romero (2B) entered the game as subs. Dave Nix, Art Niemann, and Mike Tanzi were selected to the roster, but did not play.

1982 MWL Postseason:
The Foxes got into the playoffs as the wild card. They finished 6-1/2 games behind Madison (87-52) in the North. But, the Foxes were well in front of Beloit and Waterloo for the fourth playoff spot. The other division winners were Springfield (83-53) in the Central and Quad City (79-60).

The Foxes swept Springfield and Madison swept Quad City in the best-of-three divisional round.

Then, the Foxes prevailed with a win in Game Three of the best-of-three Championship Series. This was the sixth MWL pennant for the Foxes.

Eric Davis was a much better player than a photographer’s model. Eric the Red was an eighth round pick of Cincinnati in the 1980 draft. He played for 17 years in the big leagues and was at his most productive during nine years with the Reds. He was an All-Star in 1987 and 1989 and won a World Series in 1990.

Gary Varsho was selected by the Chicago Cubs out of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fifth round of the June draft in 1982. He started his professional career with the Quad Cities Cubs and hit .251 with three homers and 50 RBI in 76 games in the MWL.

More on Varsho when he becomes the Timber Rattlers manager for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Wegman was the 5th round pick of the Brewers in the 1981 draft. He went 12-6 with a 2.81ERA in 25 games – all starts – for the Snappers. He tossed ten complete games and struck out 129 batters in 179-2/3 innings pitched.

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